Lance Armstrong decided it was a good idea to bike the Tour de France route for charity

Lance Armstrong, the one-time cycling legend whose doping scandal stripped him of his seven Tour de France titles, returned to the scene of the uh, cycling event, on Thursday.

This time, though, Armstrong wasn't racing for glory. Rather, The Associated Press reports, fellow cancer survivor and former British athlete Geoff Thomas had invited the cyclist to bike in the Le Tour-One Day Ahead charity ride for leukemia research. Armstrong's decision to participate in the ride — which follows part of the Tour de France course but takes place a day ahead of the competitors' leg — was blasted by many of his former cycling rivals, one of whom called it "disrespectful."

But Armstrong said he was just riding to help raise money for Cure Leukemia.

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"I didn't come over there to launch a PR campaign for myself," he said.